Latin American Studies

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Latin American Studies Program

Program Scope

The minor in Latin American Studies is a multidisciplinary program designed to provide undergraduate students with an understanding of Latin American societies, including their history and literature, as well as economic and political developments. The minor emphasizes the hybrid nature of Latin American societies, their shared cultures and history, their influence on other parts of the world, and the region’s multi-layered relations with other countries. With a selection of courses drawn from disciplines or fields such as ethnic studies, the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences, students have flexibility to explore a wide range of subjects including ancient and modern civilizations, ethnic relations, the literary “boom” of the 1960s, doing business in present-day Latin America, and more. The minor will be useful to students planning careers in education, humanities, and the arts, the Foreign Service, international organizations, overseas corporations, and banking, as well as for those who simply desire a better understanding of Latin America. The multidisciplinary nature of the program also prepares students for further work in a number of academic fields at the graduate level.

The minor consists of a core curriculum of three courses (nine to ten units) which deal with the region as a whole from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, plus 12 to 14 units of elective upper division course-work. Not more than six units can be taken on a CR/NC basis. Students planning to take courses other than those listed below must get prior approval from the program director. Students completing the Latin American Studies minor are encouraged to participate in the study-abroad programs at SF State. Courses taken in certified SF State study-abroad programs may be substituted for the minor’s requirements.

Senior Survey in Spanish or Spanish American Literature (all Spanish American topics)

3

Foreign Language Requirement

All students completing this area studies minor are required to demonstrate intermediate level competency in a language other than English, relevant to the area. This requirement may be met by completing the university entrance requirement of two years of high school language study, one year of successful college level language study, or by demonstration of equivalent competency.